Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've faced some challenging decisions in interactive entertainment. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima ending section led me to set down my controller for several minutes while I thought through my options. I am responsible for countless Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances measure up to what could be the toughest selection I've faced in gaming — and it concerns a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out, is hardly a decision-focused experience. At least not in typical gaming terms. You must navigate a expansive environment as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It seems like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Spoiler Warning

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a magical realm. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a struggle, as a long time spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The physical comedy of it all stems from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he plunges into an trapping cavity and is given a way out, he tries to play it off like he requires no assistance and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to take support.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s key situation of selection. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he realizes that he must ascend of a frosty elevation. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s up for a challenge, he can take an extremely long and hazardous route named The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps provides; attempting it appears unwise to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs as an alternative and reach the summit in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in a single ridiculous instant. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a time where he can show that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit striving just to make a statement?

The stairs, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in about they reject navigation help, but they can opt to give Nate a break and choose the staircase. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid anytime you find a gift horse. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a setback instantly. Are the stairs yet another trap? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be fooled by a final joke? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options leads to a authentic instance of personal growth and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate at last receives a moment to show that he’s as able as others, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the moment of strength that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the steps too. To choose that path is to at last permit Nate to accept help. And when he accomplishes that, he realizes that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re easy to walk up and he doesn’t slide all the way down if he trips. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, selected The Manbreaker. He attempts to act casual, but you can tell that he’s fatigued, subtly ruing the needless difficulty. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to pay his debt, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so nasty. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

My Experience

In my playthrough, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call